As polling began in Puducherry on Tuesday morning, BJP Puducherry President, V Saminathan and NR Congress chief N Rangaswamy cast their votes and urged voters in the Union Territory to do the same.
Saminathan voted from the Lawspet constituency and urged all the voters in the Union Territory to cast their vote to form the double-engine government of NDA.
"Casted My Vote for Change in Puducherry. I request all to Vote. Vote for Change Vote for Double Engine growth Vote for BEST Puducherry," he tweeted after casting his vote.
NR Congress chief N Rangaswamy, who is contesting from Yanam and Thattanchavady constituencies, voted at Government Boys Middle School in Thilaspet. Before casting his vote, Rangaswamy visited the Appa Paithiyam Swamy Temple and offered prayers.
Polling for 30 assembly seats in Puducherry is being held today. Of the 30 Assembly seats, five are reserved for the Scheduled Caste candidates. As many as 10,02,589 electors will choose the candidates for the 15th legislative Assembly of Puducherry.
The Congress-led government in the Union Territory fell before completing its five-year term under the Chief Minister V Narayansamy.
Narayanasamy had resigned on February 22 ahead of a floor test in the 33-member House (including three nominated) following the resignations of five Congress and one Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) legislators. On February 23, President Ram Nath Kovind accepted the resignation of Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and his council of ministers.
Campaigning for Assembly polls in Puducherry ended on Sunday with all the players including the NDA and Congress-DMK alliances putting in their best efforts to woo voters in 30 assembly seats. Both NDA and Congress have expressed confidence they will form the government in Puducherry.
Elections in Puducherry, which is currently under President's Rule, is mainly between the Congress - Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) alliance and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) comprising All India NR Congress, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The NDA in the Puducherry is a rare case where the BJP is not the largest constituent of the alliance. The BJP is contesting on nine seats with the alliance led by the All India NR Congress contesting on 16 seats, and the AIADMK on five seats.
The Congress, whose government in the Union Territory fell in February before completing its five-year term under the Chief Minister V Narayansamy, has also ceded its ground to its allies in Puducherry, giving 13 seats to the DMK and one each to the Communist Party of India and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. The party skipped fielding former Chief Minister Narayanasamy and is contesting on only 14 out of its 15 seats.
The counting of votes will take place on May 2.
( With inputs from ANI )
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